As Cool As I Am
by arilovexo
Summary: A story about a girl who comes of age with her best friend who she shared her first kiss with and her self-centered mother and father and sister who left when she was just a little girl. After being forced to hide her growing feels for her best friend, she realizes that in order to grow up, she needs to let go of the past. Ross/Laura Rydel/Ellington


_I'm going to update Let's Go Nowhere That We Know soon, I'm just being over critical of it and want it to be perfect, so I keep rewriting some parts of it. It should be done soon, but no promises._

 _This is a story I found that I had written maybe a few months ago? I saw a movie called As Cool As I Am and fell in love with the idea. It's a book apparently and so, I'm going to loosely base this story off of it. So, I don't own the idea. I was going to make it an Austin/Ally story, but there aren't enough characters (meaning Ross' band) for that to work. Plus, I think a cute cheesy story about Ross and Laura is just adorable, so here it is._

 _It's mostly written already and it won't be long. I'm just breaking it up into parts._

 _This is the first part. I don't own anything. The title isn't mine either (I couldn't think of a better one because I'm super lame)._

 _Enjoy._

* * *

She laughed, her smile bright as she swung around the bar, her best friend, Ross, doing the same thing right beside her, laughing with her. After a few moments, they stopped, calming down and catching their breath as they looked at the setting sun together at the top of the jungle gym.

Laura looked at him, "are you nervous?" She asked him.

He looked back at her, "nervous about what?"

"Our first… day of production." She told him, blinking her eyes adorably.

He shrugged and then waved her off playfully, "nah, we're gonna kill it."

She smiled at him and then looked up at the sky. "What do you think is up there?"

"The great kings of the past." He answered. She looked at him again.

"You totally quoted that from _the Lion King_." She said.

He nodded, "well, obviously, it's my-"

"Favorite movie, I know." She sighed and looked down, "you've only told me that like a billion times." She muttered under her breath.

He studied her for a few moments, "are you?"

She looked up at him, "am I what?"

"Nervous. For tomorrow." He said.

She nodded, "so scared."

He moved closer to her and then put his arm around her, careful to keep his balance. "Don't be, you're gonna kick ass." He assured her.

"Shh!" She put her finger to her lips and he just smiled at her. "You're a Disney kid now, you can't curse!"

He rolled his eyes and then playfully tugged on a strand of her hair. Her mouth dropped open and she narrowed her eyes as he laughed and moved away from her.

"Yeah, you better run." She laughed as he jumped down and she followed after him, both of them running until they got to his house. Only right when they were on the front lawn, he suddenly spun around and wrapped his arms around her waist, picking her up, she squeal-laughed and kicked her legs as he just kept spinning her until they both fell to the ground, a laughing mess.

She moved away from him and put her hand on her forehead, laughing more as she just stared up at the sky.

"Well, aren't you two so adorable?" They heard and looked up to see Ross' neighbor, Ricky shaking his head and rolling his eyes.

Ross just gave him a look, "problems?"

"Yeah, why are you hanging around her?" He asked. "I still don't get it."

"Because she's my friend." He answered back, in a duh tone.

"But she's so…" He gave her a look of disgust. "She's just ugly and she doesn't look good, in anything she wears, ever."

Ross stood up and got in his face, "take that back."

"Ross, don't-" Laura began, but Ross shook his head.

"No, this douchebag is gonna learn not to talk about girls that way. Take it back." He snapped, his tone low.

"No." Ricky told him, getting in his face as well. "you're just a talentless pretty boy. How's the band doing?" He smirked at him.

Before Ross could make a move to hurt him, Laura stepped in the way.

"If I kiss you, will you leave him alone?" She asked Ricky. She didn't really know a lot about boys, but she knew enough to know that if they were picking on a girl, it meant they wanted to kiss them.

Ricky nodded, "yeah, actually, I would."

Ross looked at Laura, his eyes widened, "Laura, you don't have to-"

"It'll get him to stop bothering us," She told him. She turned to Ricky and then closed her eyes and nodded, "okay, RIcky just-" She was cut off with his lips on hers. And all she wanted to do in that moment was gag, it was so gross and so awful. He tried to deepen the kiss, but she just put her hands on his chest and then pushed him away. Then she looked down and picked up some dirt, putting in her mouth. "That's exactly what kissing you felt like." She told him and then got in his face more.

"How can you hang out with a freak like her?" Ricky asked and with that, ran off. She just smiled triumphantly and then turned to Ross who's mouth was dropped open. He just gave her a five and then hugged her tight.

"That was amazing!" He said, he leaned back a bit, "a little gross, but still amazing."

She smiled, "someday we're going to be famous, but no one needs to know about that, but us."

He nodded, "deal…" He trailed off. "It'll be our little secret." He assured her.

She nodded and then they sat down on the steps in front of his house. "I just… I was able to go almost fifteen years without like seriously kissing a boy and that, it just ruined everything."

Ross was silent for a few moments, then he looked at her. "Well, memory is malleable. If you kiss… me, let's say then you could technically say that I was your first kiss instead of that creep." He told her.

She looked at him, trying to read him, but found that she couldn't. Though, he did look hopeful. She closed her eyes, took a deep breath and then made a face. She turned to Ross, waving her hands in front of her face, "oh my god, I can't get him out of my head, please make it go away. Ew!"

Ross laughed, "first, get rid of the dirt in your mouth." He suggested.

She nodded and then he ran inside and came back a few moments later with a glass of water and handed it to her. She took it and washed out her mouth, then she turned to him, putting the glass down beside her. She closed her eyes a moment and then opened them, giving him a soft smile and a tilt of her head.

"Well, what are you waiting for?" She asked, "kiss me." She urged him and then he suddenly looked shy. "Ross?" She said his name softly, as she scooted closer to him and they were sitting side by side on the step, the sun setting in front of him. She couldn't help but think that it was romantic.

"I know that it may seem like I've kissed a lot of girls, but um, I've only ever kissed one and I don't really count it because it was for a short film I did and-" He was so into his thoughts that he just kept babbling on and on, while Laura just stared straight ahead and let out a sigh, rolling her eyes, she turned to him and put one hand on his cheek, bringing him closer, she pressed her lips against his before he could react and he kissed her back, softly. They slowly broke it off and she smiled.

"That's the kiss I'm going to remember." She told him.

He smiled back at her and then, before he could say a word, he heard his name. The front door opened and his mother stuck her head out. "Oh, there you are!" She said, "you've got to come inside and eat dinner and get ready, you've got a big day tomorrow." She looked at Laura, "you're welcome to stay."

Laura shook her head, "no, I'm okay. I have to go home… I don't want my mother to worry." She said and Stormie nodded, giving her a hug.

"See you bright and early tomorrow morning." She told her.

Laura felt her heart beat fast and then nodded. "Yeah, see you tomorrow." She smiled and hugged her back, enjoying the warmth that she received from Stormie. It was something her mother didn't even give her. Stormie smiled at the two young teenagers and then went back inside, telling them she was going to give them privacy.

"See you tomorrow," Ross said, breaking through her thoughts.

She smiled at him, she couldn't help it. "See you tomorrow." And with that, she hugged him. She then turned and went down the stairs, turning back, she smiled and waved as he did the same. Only, she was the one that walked into the sunset, leaving him behind, but both with big smiles on their faces.

* * *

"Ross! Ross!" Laura squealed as soon as she saw him with his mother and his brother. She ran full speed towards him and he caught her, giving her a hug as she just wrapped her arms and legs around him. They stayed like that for a few moments, and then she broke the hug, going back to standing on the ground.

"Break it up lovebirds," Rocky said, pushing Ross back, he held his arms open for Laura, who just rolled her eyes and smiled, giving him a tight hug. He broke it and smiled at them. "Today's your day," He said, "kill it."

"We will." Ross promised as Laura just smiled. He held his hand out towards her and she took it, both of them walking into the studio and into the room they were told they needed to be at at a certain time.

There, they met their costars, Raini and Calum. They all introduced each other and then Raini looked at them, knowingly.

"Are you two a thing?"

Ross and Laura looked at each other and then shook their heads, dropping their hands.

"We've been friends for a while." She assured her. "Um, we met as kids and then again when we auditioned." She told her. That wasn't actually the whole story, but it was the story they had decided on for the time being. They would fill their new friends in on their friendship later.

"Just friends?" Raini asked and both Ross and Laura nodded, quickly looking away from each other. "Okay, then I say we make a pact."

"A pact?" Calum asked her. "Like what kind of pact?"

"We're going to be acting together right? And Disney shows, they only last four years, right?" She asked and everyone nodded. "Then, let's not complicate things. Let's not date anyone, because if we did, and we broke up with said person, then… it would just be awkward, right?" Ross and Laura looked at each other, Laura noticed that Ross had swallowed hard. "Okay, then, until we're completely wrapped on the show, no one dates another costar. That's the rule." She put her hand in the middle of their small circle. Calum immediately put his hand in, while Ross and Laura just looked at each other. He nodded at her and she did the same.

"Deal," They said together and then moved their hands away quickly.

"We'll come up with a team handshake later," Calum assured them.

Ross laughed and then they were interrupted by their bosses coming in and starting the first read through of the show. They explained that if the show got picked up, then they would continue making the episodes, and if it didn't, then they were sorry, but there wouldn't be jobs for them anymore.

That meant that they couldn't screw it up, no matter what.

Then, after all that was over and they had signed contracts and what not (Laura's hand was beginning to cramp after a while), Raini informed them of the rule they had agreed on. Both Kevin and Heath thought it was a genius idea and gave them major props.

Meanwhile, Laura just felt her heart breaking and wondered if Ross' was too.

After all, they had shared a meaningful kiss the day before. What did it mean exactly? Especially for them both?

* * *

"Fucking rule." Ross sighed as he threw a basketball into the basket and barely made it inside.

Laura was beside him, watching him throw the baskets. "Why did we even agree to it?" She asked him. "Oh and by the way, language."

He rolled his eyes and then he shrugged his shoulders. "More important question, why do you have a basketball hoop outside of your house? You have a sister." He said and Laura sighed, nodding her head.

"We've been over this, my sister and I were um, we were into sports." She shrugged, "not that it matters, she's gone and… I hate the stupid thing, so the fact that you like doing this, is just an added bonus." She smiled at him and he smiled back at her.

A car pulled up behind them and they both turned to see it stop right in front of her house. Her mother than got out of the car, a giggling mess, as she stepped forward and almost fell. Laura quickly ran to her and was barely able to catch her.

"Why are you wearing such high heels?" She asked her.

"It worked this morning." Her mother responded.

"Yeah, they work, if you were a stripper." Laura muttered. "Thanks, by the way, for coming today, we really had a fun."

Her mother stood up and then her hand went to her forehead. "Oh my god! It was your first day at work! How was it?"

Laura looked behind her, to see Ross was standing there. "Great," She responded, turning back to her mother. "Just great."

"Glad to hear it." Her mother kissed the top of her head and with that, walked into the house. Laura turned to Ross.

"Believe it or not, she's sober." She told him, "irresponsible, but still sober."

Ross didn't answer, instead, he just dropped the basketball and Laura watched as it rolled away, towards the garage door as he just wrapped his arms around her and hugged her tight.

She fell into the hug, closing her eyes and then cursing the hell out of the damn rule they agreed to just at that morning.

Why did her life have to be so complicated?

* * *

 _Let me know if you want more chapters! It's a really adorable story and I think you'll like it! :) Review and let me know!_

 _Much Love! Xoxo_


End file.
